Investigation of the Knowledge of Family Physicians regarding Oocyte Cryopreservation

Objective Oocyte cryopreservation is a subject of great interest today.The aim of this study was to measure the knowledge and approach of primary health care practitioners about oocyte cryopreservation. Methods This is a cross-sectional study,which is prepared online and has a total of 15 questions with 4 subtitles and sent to the physicians who have obtained Family Medicine Certificate issued by the Ministry of Health.An online survey was emailed,with one email reminder, to 2,140 family physicians for whom email addresses were available and up to date. Results 408 completed questionnaires were received giving a 19.1 % response rate.The mean age of the participants was 34.9 ± 6.6.All of the participants (100%) stated that they had not previously received any training on oocyte cryopreservation. 25% of the participants stated that they had patients who had consulted them on this subject but that they did not know enough about the subject and referred them to a gynecologist.When the meaning of the word cryopreservation was asked of the participants, it was seen that 36.8% responded correctly. 69.1% of the family physicians who participated in the study responded positively to the question of whether they believe that they should be trained in oocyte cryopreservation. Conclusion Since the concept of fertility preservation is becoming more and more important,family physicians should be aware of this issue.Apparently; their lack of knowledge about oocyte cryopreservation indicates that they cannot help their clients sufficiently.Therefore,trainings on this subject should be organized and, if necessary, included in the specialist training program.